UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT
OF
REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number: 811-04681

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (610) 669-1000

Date of fiscal year end: December 31

Date of reporting period: January 31, 2016 – June 30, 2016

Item 1: Reports to Shareholders

Semiannual Report | June 30, 2016

Vanguard Bond Index Funds

Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund

Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index Fund

 

Vanguard’s Principles for Investing Success

We want to give you the best chance of investment success. These principles, grounded in Vanguard’s research and experience, can put you on the right path.

Goals. Create clear, appropriate investment goals.

Balance. Develop a suitable asset allocation using broadly diversified funds. Cost. Minimize cost.

Discipline. Maintain perspective and long-term discipline.

A single theme unites these principles: Focus on the things you can control.

We believe there is no wiser course for any investor.

 

Please note: The opinions expressed in this report are just that—informed opinions. They should not be considered promises or advice. Also, please keep in mind that the information and opinions cover the period through the date on the front of this report. Of course, the risks of investing in your fund are spelled out in the prospectus.

See the Glossary for definitions of investment terms used in this report.

About the cover: Pictured is a sailing block on the Brilliant, a 1932 schooner docked in Mystic, Connecticut. A type of pulley, the sailing block helps coordinate the setting of the sails. At Vanguard, the intricate coordination of technology and people allows us to help millions of clients around the world reach their financial goals.

 

 

Admiral Shares carry lower expenses and are available to investors who meet certain account-balance requirements. Institutional Shares and Institutional Plus Shares are available to certain institutional investors who meet specific administrative, service, and account-size criteria. The Vanguard ETF® Shares shown are traded on the NYSE Arca exchange and are available only through brokers. The table provides ETF returns based on both the NYSE Arca market price and the net asset value for a share. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,879,964; 7,337,138; 7,720,749; 7,925,573; 8,090,646; and 8,417,623.

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Corporate A-Rated Debt Funds Average: Derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company.

Admiral Shares carry lower expenses and are available to investors who meet certain account-balance requirements. Institutional Shares and Institutional Plus Shares are available to certain institutional investors who meet specific administrative, service, and account-size criteria. The Vanguard ETF® Shares shown are traded on the NYSE Arca exchange and are available only through brokers. The table provides ETF returns based on both the NYSE Arca market price and the net asset value for a share. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,879,964; 7,337,138; 7,720,749; 7,925,573; 8,090,646; and 8,417,623.

For the ETF Shares, the market price is determined by the midpoint of the bid-offer spread as of the closing time of the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time). The net asset value is also determined as of the NYSE closing time. For more information about how the ETF Shares' market prices have compared with their net asset value, visit vanguard.com, select your ETF, and then select the Price and Performance tab. The ETF premium/discount analysis there shows the percentages of days on which the ETF Shares' market price was above or below the NAV.

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Chairman’s Letter

Dear Shareholder,

Bond yields, which were expected to keep rising after the Federal Reserve’s rate hike in December, moved lower during the first half of 2016. The decline was more pronounced for long- and intermediate-term bonds, but short-term yields generally ended lower as well.

With yields falling, bond prices rose, as the two move in opposite directions. Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index Fund returned 14.49% for the six months ended June 30, 2016; Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund returned 6.84%, and Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund returned 2.51%. (Returns and yields cited in this letter are for Investor Shares.)

After taking expenses into account, all three funds performed in line with their benchmark indexes and outpaced the average return of their peers. The funds’ average duration and maturity tend to be longer than those of their peers. This may be an advantage in a low interest rate environment like the one we saw in the first six months of this year. Of course, the reverse can be true when rates rise.

On June 30, the 30-day SEC yield for all three funds was lower than it had been at the start of the period. Yields fell from 1.37% to 1.04% for the Short-Term Fund, from 2.66% to 1.99% for the Intermediate-Term Fund, and from 4.07% to 3.32% for the Long-Term Fund.

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Bonds rolled to strong returns as investors weighed their options

The broad U.S. bond market returned 5.31% as investors sought safe-haven assets amid questionable global economic growth, low inflation, and stock market volatility. Exceptionally low or negative yields abroad attracted foreign investors to U.S. Treasury debt. The yield of the 10-year Treasury note closed at 1.47% at the end of June, down from 2.30% at the end of December.

The Fed has held its target for short-term interest rates steady since raising it by a quarter of a percentage point at the end of 2015. During the period, the 0.25%–0.5% rate remained historically low and continued to curb returns for money market funds and savings accounts.

International bond markets (as measured by the Barclays Global Aggregate Index ex USD) returned 11.94%. Counter to recent trends, a number of foreign currencies strengthened against the dollar, but returns were solid even without this currency benefit.

Stocks waxed and waned through periods of turbulence

Toward the end of the half year, global stock markets dropped sharply and then rose after the momentous decision by

 

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United Kingdom voters to leave the European Union. The markets already were jittery before the June 23 “Brexit” vote. Volatility spiked afterward, however, as investors digested the significant global economic implications and the likelihood of extended uncertainty while the separation is carried out.

The broad U.S. stock market returned roughly 4% for the six months. U.S. stocks plunged on news of the referendum’s outcome but quickly reversed. Worries about Brexit’s effect on trade and global economic growth seemed to diminish as expectations increased that major central banks would be responsive to any fallout.

International stocks had a rougher time, returning about –1%. European stocks in particular suffered as the lead-up to the Brexit referendum and subsequent uncertainty hit closer to home. Developed Pacific markets also retreated. Emerging-market stocks were a bright spot, returning nearly 8%.

Solid demand drove bond prices higher

Investors often turn to the relative safety of higher-quality bonds during times of heightened uncertainty and increased stock market volatility. This tendency was especially evident in January, when concerns about the pace of global growth

 

The fund expense ratios shown are from the prospectus dated April 26, 2016, and represent estimated costs for the current fiscal year. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, the funds’ annualized expense ratios were: for the Short-Term Bond Index Fund, 0.16% for Investor Shares, 0.08% for ETF Shares, 0.08% for Admiral Shares, 0.06% for Institutional Shares, and 0.04% for Institutional Plus Shares; for the Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund, 0.16% for Investor Shares, 0.08% for ETF Shares, 0.08% for Admiral Shares, 0.06% for Institutional Shares, and 0.04% for Institutional Plus Shares; and for the Long-Term Bond Index Fund, 0.16% for Investor Shares,  0.08% for ETF Shares, 0.06% for Institutional Shares, and 0.04% for Institutional Plus Shares. Peer-group expense ratios are derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company, and capture information through year-end 2015.

Peer groups: For the Short-Term Bond Index Fund, 1–5 Year Investment-Grade Debt Funds; for the Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund, Core Bond Funds; for the Long-Term Bond Index Fund, Corporate A-Rated Debt Funds.

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contributed to the decline of many stock markets around the world. It was also evident in June, following the Brexit vote, when demand for less risky assets, including bonds, was even greater.

The broad taxable bond market returned nearly 2% in June, its best monthly result of the half year. As interest rates turned more negative in Europe and Japan during the period, international buyers sought the still positive yields on U.S. bonds. The Short- and Intermediate-Term Funds returned 0.97% and 2.44%, respectively, for June. These were big climbs compared to May, but the Long-Term Bond Fund, which jumped to 5.11%, had the sharpest increase.

Demand was robust—and not only for safe harbors. Investors found the higher yields offered on longer-term bonds attractive, especially given the subdued outlook for inflation (as oil prices remained relatively low) and muted expectations of further rate hikes. About 85% of the Long-Term Fund’s return for the half year came from price appreciation.

The overall return for Treasuries, which accounted for the largest portion of assets in each of the three funds covered in this report, was more than 5%. While short-and intermediate-term Treasuries produced healthy gains, long-term Treasuries were the standout, returning more than 15%.

Investment-grade corporate bonds returned close to 8%. The utilities and industrial sectors did even better than that. Although many companies in the energy and metals and mining segments had been hard hit by the drop in commodity prices that began in 2014, demand for their bonds has revived with the improvement we’ve seen in commodities since February. The financial sector, on the other hand, returned slightly less than 5%. Bank debt, in particular, was out of favor, because lower interest rates tend to weigh on banks’ profitability.

A dose of discipline is crucial when markets become volatile

The heightened volatility in capital markets that surrounded the Brexit vote reminds us that nobody can control the direction of the markets or reliably predict where they’ll go in the short term. However, investors can control how they react to unstable and turbulent markets.

During periods of market adversity, it’s more important than ever to keep sight of one of Vanguard’s key principles:

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Maintain perspective and long-term discipline. Whether you’re investing for yourself or on behalf of clients, your success is affected greatly by how you respond—or don’t respond—during turbulent markets. (You can read Vanguard’s Principles for Investing Success at vanguard.com/research.)

As I’ve written in the past, the best course for long-term investors is generally to ignore daily market moves and not make decisions based on emotion. This is also a good time to evaluate your portfolio and make sure your asset allocation is aligned with your time horizon, goals, and risk tolerance.

The markets are unpredictable and often confounding. Keeping your long-term plans clearly in focus can help you weather these periodic storms.

As always, thank you for investing with Vanguard.

Sincerely,

F. William McNabb III
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
July 19, 2016

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The agency and mortgage-backed securities sectors may include issues from government-sponsored enterprises; such issues are generally not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

 

These measures show the degree and timing of the fund’s fluctuations compared with the indexes over 36 months.

Distribution by Credit Quality (% of portfolio)

 

Credit-quality ratings are obtained from Barclays and are from Moody's, Fitch, and S&P. When ratings from all three agencies are used, the median rating is shown. When ratings from two of the agencies are used, the lower rating for each issue is shown. "Not Rated" is used to classify securities for which a rating is not available. For more information about these ratings, see the Glossary entry for Credit Quality.

 

1 The expense ratios shown are from the prospectus dated April 26, 2016, and represent estimated costs for the current fiscal year. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, the annualized expense ratios were 0.16% for Investor Shares, 0.08% for ETF Shares, 0.08% for Admiral Shares, 0.06% for Institutional Shares, and 0.04% for Institutional Plus Shares.

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Short-Term Bond Index Fund

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Short-Term Bond Index Fund

Performance Summary

All of the returns in this report represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results that may be achieved by the fund. (Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our website at vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely, so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the sale of fund shares.

 

 

See Financial Highlights for dividend and capital gains information.

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Short-Term Bond Index Fund

Financial Statements (unaudited)

Statement of Net Assets—Investments Summary

As of June 30, 2016

This Statement summarizes the fund’s holdings by asset type. Details are reported for each of the fund’s 50 largest individual holdings and for investments that, in total for any issuer, represent more than 1% of the fund’s net assets. The total value of smaller holdings is reported as a single amount within each category.

The fund reports a complete list of its holdings in regulatory filings four times in each fiscal year, at the quarter-ends. For the second and fourth fiscal quarters, the complete listing of the fund’s holdings is available electronically on vanguard.com and on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website (sec.gov), or you can have it mailed to you without charge by calling 800-662-7447. For the first and third fiscal quarters, the fund files the lists with the SEC on Form N-Q. Shareholders can look up the fund’s Forms N-Q on the SEC’s website. Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (see the back cover of this report for further information).

 

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• See Note A in Notes to Financial Statements.

† Represents the aggregate value, by category, of securities that are not among the 50 largest holdings and, in total for any issuer, represent 1% or less of net assets.

1 The issuer operates under a congressional charter; its securities are generally neither guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury nor backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

2 The issuer was placed under federal conservatorship in September 2008; since that time, its daily operations have been managed by the Federal Housing Finance Agency and it receives capital from the U.S. Treasury, as needed to maintain a positive net worth, in exchange for senior preferred stock.

3 Certain of the fund’s securities are exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. Such securities may be sold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At June 30, 2016, the aggregate value of these securities was $343,159,000, representing 0.8% of net assets.

4 Affiliated money market fund available only to Vanguard funds and certain trusts and accounts managed by Vanguard. Rate shown is the 7-day yield.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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1 Includes fiscal 2016 and 2015 short-term gain distributions totaling $0 and $0, respectively. Short-term gain distributions are treated as ordinary income dividends for tax purposes.

2 Net Assets—End of Period includes undistributed (overdistributed) net investment income of $22,734,000 and $28,000.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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The expense ratio, net investment income ratio, and turnover rate for the current period have been annualized.

1 Total returns do not include account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown. Fund prospectuses provide information about any applicable account service fees.

2 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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The expense ratio, net investment income ratio, and turnover rate for the current period have been annualized.

1 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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The expense ratio, net investment income ratio, and turnover rate for the current period have been annualized.

1 Total returns do not include account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown. Fund prospectuses provide information about any applicable account service fees.

2 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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The expense ratio, net investment income ratio, and turnover rate for the current period have been annualized.

1 Inception.
2 Annualized.
3 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares,
including ETF Creation Units.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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The expense ratio, net investment income ratio, and turnover rate for the current period have been annualized.

1 Inception.
2 Annualized.
3 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares,
including ETF Creation Units.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

22

 

Short-Term Bond Index Fund

Notes to Financial Statements

Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end investment company, or mutual fund. Certain of the fund’s investments are in corporate debt instruments; the issuers’ abilities to meet their obligations may be affected by economic developments in their respective industries. The fund offers five classes of shares: Investor Shares, ETF Shares, Admiral Shares, Institutional Shares, and Institutional Plus Shares. Investor Shares are available to any investor who meets the fund’s minimum purchase requirements. ETF Shares are listed for trading on Nasdaq; they can be purchased and sold through a broker. Admiral Shares, Institutional Shares, and Institutional Plus Shares are designed for investors who meet certain administrative, service, and account-size criteria.

A. The following significant accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles for U.S. investment companies. The fund consistently follows such policies in preparing its financial statements.

1. Security Valuation: Securities are valued as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time) on the valuation date. Bonds and temporary cash investments acquired over 60 days to maturity are valued using the latest bid prices or using valuations based on a matrix system (which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, and ratings), both as furnished by independent pricing services. Structured debt securities, including mortgages and asset-backed securities, are valued using the latest bid prices or using valuations based on a matrix system that considers such factors as issuer, tranche, nominal or option-adjusted spreads, weighted average coupon, weighted average maturity, credit enhancements, and collateral. Investments in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund are valued at that fund’s net asset value. Other temporary cash investments are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Securities for which market quotations are not readily available, or whose values have been affected by events occurring before the fund’s pricing time but after the close of the securities’ primary markets, are valued by methods deemed by the board of trustees to represent fair value.

2. Federal Income Taxes: The fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company and distribute all of its taxable income. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken for all open federal income tax years (December 31, 2012–2015), and for the period ended June 30, 2016, and has concluded that no provision for federal income tax is required in the fund’s financial statements.

3. Distributions: Distributions from net investment income are declared daily by all share classes except ETF Shares, and paid on the first business day of the following month. Monthly income dividends from ETF Shares, and annual distributions from realized capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date.

4. Credit Facility: The fund and certain other funds managed by The Vanguard Group (“Vanguard”) participate in a $3.1 billion committed credit facility provided by a syndicate of lenders pursuant to a credit agreement that may be renewed annually; each fund is individually liable for its borrowings,

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Short-Term Bond Index Fund

if any, under the credit facility. Borrowings may be utilized for temporary and emergency purposes, and are subject to the fund’s regulatory and contractual borrowing restrictions. The participating funds are charged administrative fees and an annual commitment fee of 0.10% of the undrawn amount of the facility; these fees are allocated to the funds based on a method approved by the fund’s board of trustees and included in Management and Administrative expenses on the fund’s Statement of Operations. Any borrowings under this facility bear interest at a rate based upon the higher of the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate, federal funds effective rate, or overnight bank funding rate plus an agreed-upon spread.

The fund had no borrowings outstanding at June 30, 2016, or at any time during the period then ended.

5. Other: Interest income includes income distributions received from Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund and is accrued daily. Premiums and discounts on debt securities purchased are amortized and accreted, respectively, to interest income over the lives of the respective securities. Security transactions are accounted for on the date securities are bought or sold. Costs used to determine realized gains (losses) on the sale of investment securities are those of the specific securities sold.

Each class of shares has equal rights as to assets and earnings, except that each class separately bears certain class-specific expenses related to maintenance of shareholder accounts (included in Management and Administrative expenses) and shareholder reporting. Marketing and distribution expenses are allocated to each class of shares based on a method approved by the board of trustees. Income, other non-class-specific expenses, and gains and losses on investments are allocated to each class of shares based on its relative net assets.

B. In accordance with the terms of a Funds’ Service Agreement (the “FSA”) between Vanguard and the fund, Vanguard furnishes to the fund investment advisory, corporate management, administrative, marketing, and distribution services at Vanguard’s cost of operations (as defined by the FSA). These costs of operations are allocated to the fund based on methods and guidelines approved by the board of trustees. Vanguard does not require reimbursement in the current period for certain costs of operations (such as deferred compensation/benefits and risk/insurance costs); the fund’s liability for these costs of operations is included in Payables to Vanguard on the Statement of Net Assets.

Upon the request of Vanguard, the fund may invest up to 0.40% of its net assets as capital in Vanguard. At June 30, 2016, the fund had contributed to Vanguard capital in the amount of $3,680,000, representing 0.01% of the fund’s net assets and 1.47% of Vanguard’s capitalization. The fund’s trustees and officers are also directors and employees, respectively, of Vanguard.

C. Various inputs may be used to determine the value of the fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in three broad levels for financial statement purposes. The inputs or methodologies used to value securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

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Short-Term Bond Index Fund

Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical securities.

Level 2—Other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.).

Level 3—Significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions used to determine the fair value of investments).

The following table summarizes the market value of the fund’s investments as of June 30, 2016, based on the inputs used to value them:

 

D. Capital gain distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts in the financial statements to reflect their tax character. Temporary differences arise when gains or losses are recognized in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes. These differences will reverse at some time in the future. The fund’s tax-basis capital gains and losses are determined only at the end of each fiscal year.

During the six months ended June 30, 2016, the fund realized $10,135,000 of net capital gains resulting from in-kind redemptions—in which shareholders exchanged fund shares for securities held by the fund rather than for cash. Because such gains are not taxable to the fund, and are not distributed to shareholders, they have been reclassified from accumulated net realized gains to paid-in capital.

At June 30, 2016, the cost of investment securities for tax purposes was $44,517,057,000. Net unrealized appreciation of investment securities for tax purposes was $612,627,000, consisting of unrealized gains of $622,085,000 on securities that had risen in value since their purchase and $9,458,000 in unrealized losses on securities that had fallen in value since their purchase.

E. During the six months ended June 30, 2016, the fund purchased $3,902,223,000 of investment securities and sold $2,468,330,000 of investment securities, other than U.S. government securities and temporary cash investments. Purchases and sales of U.S. government securities were $10,045,957,000 and $9,566,853,000, respectively. Total purchases and sales include $1,579,236,000 and $874,559,000, respectively, in connection with in-kind purchases and redemptions of the fund’s capital shares.

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Short-Term Bond Index Fund

 

G. Management has determined that no material events or transactions occurred subsequent to June 30, 2016, that would require recognition or disclosure in these financial statements.

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The agency and mortgage-backed securities sectors may include issues from government-sponsored enterprises; such issues are generally not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

 

These measures show the degree and timing of the fund’s fluctuations compared with the indexes over 36 months.

Distribution by Credit Quality (% of portfolio)

 

Credit-quality ratings are obtained from Barclays and are from Moody's, Fitch, and S&P. When ratings from all three agencies are used, the median rating is shown. When ratings from two of the agencies are used, the lower rating for each issue is shown. "Not Rated" is used to classify securities for which a rating is not available. For more information about these ratings, see the Glossary entry for Credit Quality.

 

1 The expense ratios shown are from the prospectus dated April 26, 2016, and represent estimated costs for the current fiscal year. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, the annualized expense ratios were 0.16% for Investor Shares, 0.08% for ETF Shares, 0.08% for Admiral Shares, 0.06% for Institutional Shares, and 0.04% for Institutional Plus Shares.

27

 

Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund

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Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund

Performance Summary

All of the returns in this report represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results that may be achieved by the fund. (Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our website at vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely, so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the sale of fund shares.

 

 

See Financial Highlights for dividend and capital gains information.

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Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund

Financial Statements (unaudited)

Statement of Net Assets—Investments Summary

As of June 30, 2016

This Statement summarizes the fund’s holdings by asset type. Details are reported for each of the fund’s 50 largest individual holdings and for investments that, in total for any issuer, represent more than 1% of the fund’s net assets. The total value of smaller holdings is reported as a single amount within each category.

The fund reports a complete list of its holdings in regulatory filings four times in each fiscal year, at the quarter-ends. For the second and fourth fiscal quarters, the complete listing of the fund’s holdings is available electronically on vanguard.com and on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website (sec.gov), or you can have it mailed to you without charge by calling 800-662-7447. For the first and third fiscal quarters, the fund files the lists with the SEC on Form N-Q. Shareholders can look up the fund’s Forms N-Q on the SEC’s website. Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (see the back cover of this report for further information).

 

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• See Note A in Notes to Financial Statements.

† Represents the aggregate value, by category, of securities that are not among the 50 largest holdings and, in total for any issuer, represent 1% or less of net assets.

1 The issuer was placed under federal conservatorship in September 2008; since that time, its daily operations have been managed by the Federal Housing Finance Agency and it receives capital from the U.S. Treasury, as needed to maintain a positive net worth, in exchange for senior preferred stock.

2 Certain of the fund’s securities are exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. Such securities may be sold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At June 30, 2016, the aggregate value of these securities was $320,489,000, representing 1.2% of net assets.

3 Affiliated money market fund available only to Vanguard funds and certain trusts and accounts managed by Vanguard. Rate shown is the 7-day yield.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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1 Includes fiscal 2016 and 2015 short-term gain distributions totaling $0 and $0, respectively. Short-term gain distributions are treated as ordinary income dividends for tax purposes.

2 Net Assets—End of Period includes undistributed (overdistributed) net investment income of $20,622,000 and $4,000.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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The expense ratio, net investment income ratio, and turnover rate for the current period have been annualized.

1 Total returns do not include account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown. Fund prospectuses provide information about any applicable account service fees.

2 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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The expense ratio, net investment income ratio, and turnover rate for the current period have been annualized.

1 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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The expense ratio, net investment income ratio, and turnover rate for the current period have been annualized.

1 Total returns do not include account service fees that may have applied in the periods shown. Fund prospectuses provide information about any applicable account service fees.

2 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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The expense ratio, net investment income ratio, and turnover rate for the current period have been annualized.

1 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares, including ETF Creation Units.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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The expense ratio, net investment income ratio, and turnover rate for the current period have been annualized.

1 Inception.
2 Annualized.
3 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s capital shares,
including ETF Creation Units.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

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Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund

Notes to Financial Statements

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end investment company, or mutual fund. Certain of the fund’s investments are in corporate debt instruments; the issuers’ abilities to meet their obligations may be affected by economic developments in their respective industries. The fund offers five classes of shares: Investor Shares, ETF Shares, Admiral Shares, Institutional Shares, and Institutional Plus Shares. Investor Shares are available to any investor who meets the fund’s minimum purchase requirements. ETF Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca; they can be purchased and sold through a broker. Admiral Shares, Institutional Shares, and Institutional Plus Shares are designed for investors who meet certain administrative, service, and account-size criteria.

A. The following significant accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles for U.S. investment companies. The fund consistently follows such policies in preparing its financial statements.

1. Security Valuation: Securities are valued as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time) on the valuation date. Bonds and temporary cash investments acquired over 60 days to maturity are valued using the latest bid prices or using valuations based on a matrix system (which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, and ratings), both as furnished by independent pricing services. Investments in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund are valued at that fund’s net asset value. Other temporary cash investments are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Securities for which market quotations are not readily available, or whose values have been affected by events occurring before the fund’s pricing time but after the close of the securities’ primary markets, are valued by methods deemed by the board of trustees to represent fair value.

2. Federal Income Taxes: The fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company and distribute all of its taxable income. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken for all open federal income tax years (December 31, 2012–2015), and for the period ended June 30, 2016, and has concluded that no provision for federal income tax is required in the fund’s financial statements.

3. Distributions: Distributions from net investment income are declared daily by all share classes except ETF Shares, and paid on the first business day of the following month. Monthly income dividends from ETF Shares, and annual distributions from realized capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date.

4. Credit Facility: The fund and certain other funds managed by The Vanguard Group (“Vanguard”) participate in a $3.1 billion committed credit facility provided by a syndicate of lenders pursuant to a credit agreement that may be renewed annually; each fund is individually liable for its borrowings, if any, under the credit facility. Borrowings may be utilized for temporary and emergency purposes, and are subject to the fund’s regulatory and contractual borrowing restrictions. The participating funds are charged administrative fees and an annual commitment fee of 0.10% of the undrawn amount of the facility; these fees are allocated to the funds based on a method approved by the fund’s board

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Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund

of trustees and included in Management and Administrative expenses on the fund’s Statement of Operations. Any borrowings under this facility bear interest at a rate based upon the higher of the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate, federal funds effective rate, or overnight bank funding rate plus an agreed-upon spread.

The fund had no borrowings outstanding at June 30, 2016, or at any time during the period then ended.

5. Other: Interest income includes income distributions received from Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund and is accrued daily. Premiums and discounts on debt securities purchased are amortized and accreted, respectively, to interest income over the lives of the respective securities. Security transactions are accounted for on the date securities are bought or sold. Costs used to determine realized gains (losses) on the sale of investment securities are those of the specific securities sold.

Each class of shares has equal rights as to assets and earnings, except that each class separately bears certain class-specific expenses related to maintenance of shareholder accounts (included in Management and Administrative expenses) and shareholder reporting. Marketing and distribution expenses are allocated to each class of shares based on a method approved by the board of trustees. Income, other non-class-specific expenses, and gains and losses on investments are allocated to each class of shares based on its relative net assets.

B. In accordance with the terms of a Funds’ Service Agreement (the “FSA”) between Vanguard and the fund, Vanguard furnishes to the fund investment advisory, corporate management, administrative, marketing, and distribution services at Vanguard’s cost of operations (as defined by the FSA). These costs of operations are allocated to the fund based on methods and guidelines approved by the board of trustees. Vanguard does not require reimbursement in the current period for certain costs of operations (such as deferred compensation/benefits and risk/insurance costs); the fund’s liability for these costs of operations is included in Payables to Vanguard on the Statement of Net Assets.

Upon the request of Vanguard, the fund may invest up to 0.40% of its net assets as capital in Vanguard. At June 30, 2016, the fund had contributed to Vanguard capital in the amount of $2,142,000, representing 0.01% of the fund’s net assets and 0.86% of Vanguard’s capitalization. The fund’s trustees and officers are also directors and employees, respectively, of Vanguard.

C. Various inputs may be used to determine the value of the fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in three broad levels for financial statement purposes. The inputs or methodologies used to value securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical securities.

Level 2—Other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.).

Level 3—Significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions used to determine the fair value of investments).

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Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund

The following table summarizes the market value of the fund’s investments as of June 30, 2016, based on the inputs used to value them:

 

D. Capital gain distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts in the financial statements to reflect their tax character. Temporary differences arise when gains or losses are recognized in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes. These differences will reverse at some time in the future.

During the six months ended June 30, 2016, the fund realized $3,453,000 of net capital gains resulting from in-kind redemptions—in which shareholders exchanged fund shares for securities held by the fund rather than for cash. Because such gains are not taxable to the fund, and are not distributed to shareholders, they have been reclassified from accumulated net realized gains to paid-in capital.

The fund’s tax-basis capital gains and losses are determined only at the end of each fiscal year. The fund realized losses of $5,762,000 during the period from November 1, 2015, through December 31, 2015, which are deferred and will be treated as realized for tax purposes in fiscal 2016. The fund will use these capital losses to offset net taxable capital gains, if any, realized during the year ending December 31, 2016.

At June 30, 2016, the cost of investment securities for tax purposes was $26,500,534,000. Net unrealized appreciation of investment securities for tax purposes was $1,197,197,000, consisting of unrealized gains of $1,212,136,000 on securities that had risen in value since their purchase and $14,939,000 in unrealized losses on securities that had fallen in value since their purchase.

E. During the six months ended June 30, 2016, the fund purchased $4,139,438,000 of investment securities and sold $2,238,306,000 of investment securities, other than U.S. government securities and temporary cash investments. Purchases and sales of U.S. government securities were $7,018,252,000 and $5,099,929,000, respectively. Total purchases and sales include $2,192,461,000 and $100,246,000, respectively, in connection with in-kind purchases and redemptions of the fund’s capital shares.

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Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund

 

G. Management has determined that no material events or transactions occurred subsequent to June 30, 2016, that would require recognition or disclosure in these financial statements.

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The agency and mortgage-backed securities sectors may include issues from government-sponsored enterprises; such issues are generally not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

 

These measures show the degree and timing of the fund’s fluctuations compared with the indexes over 36 months.

Distribution by Credit Quality (% of portfolio)

 

Credit-quality ratings are obtained from Barclays and are from Moody's, Fitch, and S&P. When ratings from all three agencies are used, the median rating is shown. When ratings from two of the agencies are used, the lower rating for each issue is shown. "Not Rated" is used to classify securities for which a rating is not available. For more information about these ratings, see the Glossary entry for Credit Quality.

 

1 The expense ratios shown are from the prospectus dated April 26, 2016, and represent estimated costs for the current fiscal year. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, the annualized expense ratios were 0.16% for Investor Shares, 0.08% for ETF Shares, 0.06% for Institutional Shares, and 0.04% for Institutional Plus Shares.

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